Hell is Empty and all the Devils are Here
by keepcalmandwrite
Summary: When Loki saves Natasha from being killed under torture she and the rest of the Avengers just can't understand why. But perhaps there is more to this lonely god than she first thought. "Never would Natasha have guessed that his voice was the one that would bring her comfort, but cold and alone, dying on the damp floor in horrible pain...it was a relief to hear him. " Loki/Natasha
1. Chapter 1

**This is Loki/Natasha, let me know what you think or it will be deleted. **

**Warning for gore and mentioned torture but its like passing details. **

The room was spinning, it was tipping and shaking. The dark shadows seemed to come alive and crawl over the floor and towards her frozen body, she couldn't move away, she tried but she was so weak she couldn't even turn her head properly. It felt as if something was slithering through her veins, infecting itself throughout her body; she knew it was the drugs they had pumped her with. That or the after effects of the electric torture and water boarding she had suffered through earlier that day…or perhaps it was the night before, it was too hard to tell the time stuck inside the dismal room with no windows.

She was the Black Widow, the fearless superhero that was in the same league as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor…she was in the same league as a bloody god, but as soon as she had been captured by the psychotic organization holding her she knew she wasn't getting out. How did she know that? They had broken her legs straight away, as soon as they had shot her in the stomach and pinned her to the ground. The pain was excruciating, unspeakable…unbearable. They were good, they were dangerous and Natasha picked that up pretty quickly.

"Not long now." The smooth, comforting voice floated around her ears again, she had been hearing the voice talking to her as soon as she had been captured. Things like… "I will be here soon." "Hold on, darling." In fact once the voice had even spoken ancient literature to her._ "__One pain is cured by another. Catch some new infection in your eye and the poison of the old one would die." _Natasha had recognised that, it was from 'Romeo and Juliet' by Shakespeare, she had never seen the play but she had read it and enjoyed it thoroughly.

At first she guessed the voice was her subconscious, that she was trying to comfort herself, but she soon dismissed the idea when she actually recognised the seductive purr the words were spoken in. It was none other than the god of lies. Loki.

_Loki. _

Never would Natasha have guessed that _his_ voice was the one that would bring her comfort, but cold and alone, dying on the damp floor in horrible pain it was a relief to hear it. Because it was (although she still hated the god, and would never admit it out loud) a beautiful voice. Kind and soft but tinted with a power that no normal man could achieve. It gave her the disillusioned relief of safety and survival, something that deep down she knew wouldn't happen. It didn't matter that the Avengers were desperately trying to track her; she knew they would never find her in time. Her kidnappers knew nothing could hold back Tony Stark when he was determined which was why they weren't wasting time.

Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, knew she would be dead within an hour.

Her vision began to fade, and soon instead of staring up at the blackness of the ceiling she was trapped beneath the blackness of her eyelids.

…**. **

She didn't open her eyes like a princess awakening from a magical slumber, no, she began to choke. Coughing and shuddering, her body shook and flinched, blood rose up her throat and soon it was falling from her lips. Despite her eyes rolling into the back of her head she was fully aware, and it was ironic. Ironic to her that she would die choking on her blood, the red that she had built in her ledger was now pouring out of her, killing her. She deserved it. Perhaps this was the suitable way for the infamous Black Widow to go. Writhing in agony and red pooling beneath her…swallowing her.

She was unable to hear above the screams that pierced the air, her own screams as she gargled beneath the blood. Perhaps if she had been able to hear she would of heard the firing of guns and yelling of her captors who were now under attack. Perhaps if she had of been able to hear she would have realized it was not the Avengers that were killing the men outside, the lack of thunder or the hulk roaring was enough indication. Perhaps if she had been able to hear she would have realized whom it was, the same voice that had been speaking to her. But of course, she couldn't hear above her shrieks of pain, so she didn't realize.

Eventually the blood stopped falling from her mouth, her lips and teeth now stained a menacing red. She began to breathe again, forcing herself back into a normal pattern, once she was calm enough she opened her eyes just a crack, but it was enough. Enough to see the letter, well the card, the perfect old fashioned handwriting that was printed on it, what she read struck fear into her heart…

"_The croaking raven doth bellow for revenge." _

It was from 'Hamlet' by Shakespeare. And she had a strange feeling that she knew exactly who it was from but before she could think any deeper the wall on her left side exploded and sent a shower of dust and rocks around the room.

"Did ya miss me Romanoff?" Tony Starks' sarcastic voice asked, the metallic effects from the Iron Man suit toned it down though. Natasha couldn't answer before exhaustion took over, relief filled her as she was lifted gently into his arms but her thoughts drifted away to gods of mischief and Shakespearean plays.

**The reason for the focus on Shakespeare is because Tom Hiddleston enjoys his plays and writings. So it's like an Easter Egg ;) **

**Please review or this won't be continued and will be deleted. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews and follows! They mean so much. **

**All you need to know about this chapter is Natasha has excelled healing from when she was younger, its only briefly mentioned at the end so just go with it. **

**Some polite but strange Loki (who admittedly acts more like Tom Hiddleston than a villain). **

_A pure white landscape stretched out before her, she recognized it immediately as New York City. As if she was floating above it, the buildings sketched out but no colours or people were present, it was just pure white. _

_That is until blood began to seep in, it came from the corners of the image, bleeding into the streets below her until they were rivers of red. Tears dripped from her as she stared at the now scarlet landscape, the drops falling from her eyes landed in the red streets and buildings. But that still wasn't enough, the crimson liquid rained down from the white sky, it poured onto her until she was turned ruby, not just her hair any more. _

_She raised her shaking arms and screamed as her skin began to rip open, her pale white covering faded as it was torn and turned red, she could feel cuts appearing all over her, on her arms, neck, legs and torso. Each one bringing searing pain shooting throughout. She shrieked as she turned completely red, it was her ledger, punishing her, taking over her. _

_She knew that every scorching, burning, agonizing second she deserved. It was her retribution. Her debt. But it still wasn't enough, and that's when the knife appeared, it was shining silver, the only other colour apparent around her, the handle glittered as the blood pooled around it…but it remained clean and safe. A way out. Reaching out with stained, shaking hands Natasha gripped the knife and brought it to her neck, the cool metal soothing her burning bloody flesh. She breathed a heavy breath as she pushed the knife deep, more blood flooded out and covered her as her lungs constricted and body shook. _

"_Interesting." His voice was back, the soft purr was a backing sound to her pain induced cries, "So much anguish buried beneath a mask of serenity and peace. Why don't we go and talk somewhere more…suitable." Natasha could only see his tall slender form, his piercing green eyes as they evaluated her before it all changed. The red began to melt as the background dissolved, the blood dribbled away as Natasha's pale skin became visible once more, the cuts and wounds began to stitch up and heal as the pain reduced. She could breathe again but she could no longer see, it was all black, she nervously ran a hand down her arm and felt her smooth pale skin, no blood. _

"_Hello?" She asked softly, her voice echoing throughout the vast darkness, "Loki, are you there?" She showed no signs of her on edge feelings. _

"_I am here Miss Romanoff, but I prefer the darkness as I believe we will have more…meaningful conversations cloaked within the black." She wanted to touch him, to feel the owner of that irresistible voice. She just couldn't understand how this man, the man who saved her from her nightmare, once tried to take over New York in a fit of vengeance against his father and brother._

"_Loki, what's going on?" Her voice was sharp and cutting, but it seemed to soften under the lack of light and vast emptiness. _

"_You were dreaming Miss Romanoff, I simply grew curious and joined you within your slumber, and that is where I saw you drowning in blood. Now we couldn't really have a proper conversation with you in that state could we? So I brought you here." Natasha got the feeling that the god of mischief was gesturing around him but she had no clue whether this was true. _

"_Right ok, and where is_ 'here'_ exactly?" She asked wanting to move around and explore where she was but unable to trust Loki to have brought her somewhere safe so she remained still. _

"_Here is no-where, if you'll excuse my philosophical answer." Loki replied, his voice seemed to have moved; clearly the god was comfortable with walking in this…place. _

"_This is bullshit Loki, let me go and stop fucking with my mind." Natasha snapped, this time the darkness seemed to sharpen her words, like small daggers she flung them at Loki. In response he merely chuckled. "I'm serious. Let. Me. Go." She practically growled, she experimentally stretched her arm out to see if she could feel anything…or anyone, but it felt as it looked, empty and dark. _

"_I will see you again soon Miss Romanoff, oh and please do not tell anyone of our encounter." Natasha jumped and spun around as his voice sounded next to her ear, so close she could feel his cold breath tickling her neck. __"Goodnight!" he whispered softly. "Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say goodnight til it be morrow." _

"_Loki!" She yelled but before she could add anymore words she felt herself falling, that horrible feeling struck in her stomach, she just prayed she didn't hit the ground...wherever the hell it was._

"Urghh…" Natasha tried to talk but she wasn't able to form words, she tried to move her arms but they felt so heavy, still she refused to give up and tried to open her eyes instead. Although her eyelids seemed strangely reluctant to open she eventually managed and quickly surveyed the room to see if she was in any danger.

The room was clean, so clean that she recognized it immediately; it was by far the cleanest place in the tower. It was the medical room Tony had installed after the Avengers had all been hurt in one way or another and seeing as none of them were comfortable in hospitals he had seen it as an investment.

"Thank god Natasha." The spy turned her slow moving head to the sound of the voice and she tried to smile a little when she spotted the soldier staring down at her in concern. She moved to sit up again but yelped as pain radiated throughout her whole body, before she could try again there was a set of strong arms on her shoulders.

"Whoa there Nat, babe, your legs are broken, you've been practically dead for the last nine hours. You can't move." It was none other than her partner Clint, she blinked confusedly at him.

"When did you get here…?" She asked, Clint just grinned and pointed at the air vents,

"Come on Nat, think." She laughed softly and tried not to think of the pain she would experience for the next few weeks. Clint and Steve grimaced as they watched her face fall as she thought about the future.

"Don't worry, you'll be better before you know it." Steve said comfortingly whilst moving to sit on her other side.

"Yeah and you'll be able to walk in a week or so, you know with your excelled healing." Clint added as he rubbed a hand on her arm.

"Yeah…I guess. Umm, guys, have you heard anything about Loki lately?" They had clearly not expected this question and there faces gave away the answer straightaway,

"Well actually, Thor's on Asgard now…Loki escaped his prison earlier today, why Nat?" Clint said suspiciously, he studied his partner closely but obviously didn't pick up on anything because he went back to stroking her arm and muttering to Steve when she didn't answer.

"No reason." She muttered under her breath.

**For the record Natasha isn't over being tortured, she isn't mentally (or physically really) ok, that bucket load of angst will come in later chapters so it hasn't just been forgotten. **

**What do you think? Again I need a good response or I wont be carrying on, it's just one of those stories that I struggle to believe in. **

**If there are any Shakespeare quotes you want in then let me know. **

**Have a lovely day/night **


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